WEBVTT OVERWORKED AND OVERWHELL AMED. NATALIE FINN LITERALLY STARVED TO DEATH LAST YEAR IN HER PARENT'S HOME.EVEN AFTER MULTIPLE CALLS WERE MADE TO THE STATE BY NEIGHBORS ANDERSON SCHOOL OFFICIALS-- BY NEIGHBORS AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS.>> WE'VE HAD THREE OR FOUR CALLS ON THIS KID NOW.WE'RE SEEING A PATTERN HERE.REPORTER: A D.H.S. ADMINISTRATOR SAYS THERE ARE THREE CRITERIA TO ACCEPT AN ABUSE CASE. THE ALLEGED VICTIM IS A CHILD, THE SUSPECT IS A CARETAKER AND THE ALLEGATIONS HAVE TO FIT AT LEAST ONE CATEGORY OF CHILD ABUSE IN IOWA.>> EVERY TIME WE RECEIVE A CALL, WE SHOULD REVIEW ANY HISTORY WE HAVE IN OUR SYSTEM OR OTHER SYSTEMS WE CAN ACCESS AND THOSE THINGS TOGETHER SHOULD WEIGH ON WHETHER THE CASE IS ACCEPTED OR N.REPORTER: BUT SENATOR MATT MCCOY ARGUED AT SOME POINT A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CALLS ON THE SAME CHILD SHOULD TRIGGER MORE INVESTIGATION, RARLEDLESS IF IT MEETS THE THREE CRITERIA. >> IF IT'S JUST A DIGS DISCRETIONARY DECISION AT INTAKE, THAT IS NOT A APPOINTMENT I'M SAYING WHERE A THERE'S FREQUENCY THERE'S SEVERITY AND YOU NEED TO TREAT THAT FREQUENCY IN AN OFFICIAL POLICY LIKE, OK, WE'VE HAD FOUR CALLS ON THIS KID.WE BETTER FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HECK'S GOING ON.HERE. >> I WOULD TELL YOU AS ASS THE CHILD WELFARE DIRECTOR AND ADMINISTRATOR, THAT OUR SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONAL.REPORTER: THERE HAVE BEEN TALKS ABOUT CHANGING INTAKE CRITERIA. BUT ADDS CASE WORKERS HAVE A VERY SUBJECTIVE JOB IN WAITING -- WADING THROUGH REPORTS OF SUSPECTED ABUSE OR NEGLECT. OVER 100 NEW REPORTS A DAY ON AVERAGE.>> WE DO HAVE A FUNCTIONING SYSTEM. UNFORTUNATELY SOMETIMES THERE ARE TRAGIC CASES AND WE DO HAVE TO EXAEX THOSE. BUT WE DON'T WANT TO THROW OUT GOOD POLICIES AND GOOD PRACTICE

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DHS Administrator Windy Rickman said there are three criteria to accept an abuse case: the alleged victim is a child, the suspect is a caretaker and the allegations have to fit at least one category of child abuse in Iowa.

“So every time we receive a call, we should review any history that we have either in our system, or any other systems we can access, and that those things together should weigh on whether that case is accepted or not," Rickman said.

Sen. Matt McCoy argued that at some point, a certain number of calls on the same child should trigger more investigation regardless of whether it meets the three criteria.

"If it is just a discretionary decision at intake, then that is not a policy," McCoy said. “I'm saying where there's frequency, there's severity -- and you've got to treat that frequency in an official policy. Like, ‘OK, we've had four calls on this kid. We've better figure out what the heck's going on here.’"

“I would tell you as the child welfare director, as a child welfare administrator, that our system is functional,” Rickman said. “It is beyond functional."

A DHS spokeswoman told KCCI there have been talks about changing intake criteria if multiple calls are received on a child who does not meet the legal criteria, but adds that case workers have a very subjective job in wading through reports of suspected abuse or neglect.

The spokeswoman said the Iowa DHS receives over 100 new reports a day on average and that about half of those reports meet criteria to open a case.

We do have a functioning system,” said Amy McCoy, of Iowa DHS. “Unfortunately, sometimes there are tragic cases, and we do have to examine those, but we don't want to throw out good policies and good practice if it was just something that happened that was unique."

McCoy said he has spoken with dozens of DHS employees who have told him they are overwhelmed with their workload. McCoy said he will invite DHS leaders back next week for a follow-up meeting on many of the questions with the hope that the discussions will lead to policy changes within the department.